ent in Uncle Benny's life--even terrible
scandal--could not make Henry fear, could not bring terror of
consequences to himself. That could be only if Henry was involved in
some peculiar and intimate way with what had happened to Uncle Benny.
If he feared Uncle Benny's being found alive and feared Alan's being
found alive too, now that Alan had discovered Uncle Benny, it was
because he dreaded explanation of his own connection with what had
taken place.

Constance raised her window shade slightly and looked out. It was
still snowing; the train was running swiftly among low sand hills,
snow-covered, and only dimly visible through snow and dark. A
deep-toned, steady roar came to her above the noises of the train. The
lake! Out there, Alan and Uncle Benny were fighting, still struggling
perhaps, against bitter cold and ice and rushing water for their lives.
She must not think of that!

Uncle Benny had withdrawn himself from men; he had ceased to be active
in his business and delegated it to others. This change had been
strangely advantageous to Henry. Henry had been hardly more than a
common seaman then. He had been a mate--the mate on one of Uncle
Benny's ships. Quite suddenly he had become Uncle Benny's partner.
Henry had explained this to her by saying that Uncle Benny had felt
madness coming on him and had selected him as the one to take charge.
But Uncle Benny had not trusted Henry; he had been suspicious of him;
he had quarreled with him. How strange, then, that Uncle Benny should
have advanced and given way to a man whom he could not trust!

It was strange, too, that if--as Henry had said--their quarrels had
been about the business, Uncle Benny had allowed Henry to remain in
control.

Their quarrels had culminated on the day that Uncle Benny went away.
Afterward Uncle Benny had come to her and warned her not to marry
Henry; then he had sent for Alan. There had been purpose in these acts
of Uncle Benny's; had they meant that Uncle Benny had been on the verge
of making explanation--that explanation which Henry feared--and that he
had been--prevented? Her father had thought this; at least, he had
thought that Uncle Benny must have left some explanation in his house.
He had told Alan that, and had given Alan the key to the house so that
he could find it. Alan had gone to the house--

In the house Alan had found some one who had mistaken him for a ghost,
a man who had cried out at sight of him something